Brotjck



(No Model.)

P. S. HASBROUOK. TEMPORARY BINDER.

No. 248,741. Patented Oct. 25,1881.

Usirrso STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

FREDERICK S. HASBROUOK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TEMPORARY BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,741, dated October 25, 1881.

Application filed October 26, 1880.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK S. HAS- BROUOK, of the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Temporary Binders or Letter-Files, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of letter-files which are composed of a box or case having an open top and front, and a. number of indexed sheets between which the letters are placed and retained in alphabetical order.

The present invention has for its object to provide the box or case of such letter-files with a flexible cover, which can be folded over the open front and top and overlap and rest against the edges of the end walls of the box or case, said cover being at the same time so arranged and connected with the front edge of the bot tom of the box that it can be thrown open and spread out in a plane flush or coincident with the lower surface ofthe bottom wall of the box or case, and thereby rest in a fiat position throughout its entire extent upon the same support as the box or case, thus preventing rupture or strain on the joint which connects the cover with the bottom of the box, and requiring no support from the box or case. These ob- 0 jects I accomplish by the construction and arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a letter-file embodying my invention, showing the cover spread out and on a plane flush or coincident with the lower surface of the bottom of the box or case; Fig. 2, a transverse section of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse section, showing a slight modification, and Fig. 4. a longitudinal section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the letter A indicates a box or case, which may be made of card-board, binders board, or other sufficiently rigid or stiff material, which will maintain its walls in proper box-like form. The top and front portion of the ends of the box is pro- (No model.)

vided with turned-in lips A A, extending toward each other, and is formed by bending the ends and gluing the bent portions to the bottom wall of the box.

To the front edge of the bottom wall of the box is attached the cover A which extends entirely across thev front of the same from end to end, and is made of flexible material, which will permit it to be closed up against the lips A A and folded over the open top, with its edges overlapping and resting against the up per edges of the end walls of the box or case. The outer free edge of the cover is provided with an opening, a, so that when it is in a closed position it may be secured by a string or other tasteuing,engaging the openings (00/. The cover A being attached directly to the front edge of the bottom wall of the box and constructed to overlap and bear against the end and topedges of the end walls of the same, provides a simple and eflicient means of supporting the cover and preventing its collapsing or falling in; but, in addition to this feature, the cover possesses an important characteristic-namely, it can be thrown open and spread out on a plane flush or coincident with the lower surface of the bottom of the box, and thereby rest throughout its entire extent in a; flat position against the same support as the box, and thus pressure upon the cover, when in such position, is not transmitted to or sustained by the box or case, and, further, there is noliability of thejointed connection between the cover and the box or case becoming ruptured, broken, or otherwise injured or strained, permitting very simple and inexpensive means to be employed for thejointed connection. Besides, when the cover is spread out on a plane flush or coincident with the lower surface of the bottom wall of the box or case, as before described, and as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, said cover will be entirelyout of the way and will offer no obstacle to manipulating theindexed sheets and their contents, which is a desidcratum not possessed by those letterfiles in which the cover is swung back on the top of the box.

The index-sheets B (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) are of the usual form, and are retained in place by the rear and end walls of the box and by the lips A. A; but in Figs. 3 and 4 I dispense with the lips A A, and double the indexshects in folios similar to a book. In the folds are inserted needles or thin rods D, and at suitable distances apart the back or folded portions are notched or mortised, as at I), through which, in front of the needles or rods D, are passed the cords, straps, or bands E, and by the connection of the ends of the latter with the box or case the indexed sheets are confined in place, but can be readily adjusted up and down to receive additional letters or other papers between them.

For retaining the indexed sheets in compact form I employ flat springs 1*, attached at one end to the end walls of the box or case and connected at their upper ends to the toggle-levers G, which are hinged together at their meeting ends, and if desired, connected with a presserbar, H, for pressing on the indexed sheets. These springs and toggle-levers are so arranged and combined that when the levers are pushed up, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 4, they will remain in that position, leaving the sheets free forconvenicntadjustment. ThespringFcould be attached to a rectangular frame, fitting within the box or case, and in this manner the said frame. springs, toggle-levers, and presserbar could be detached from the box.

A paper-file has heretofore been constructed of a box or case provided with a hinged flap or cover on its top portion and with another flap hinged to the upper edge of the front portion of the bottom wall of the box or case, said front flap being intended to fold up over the top flap and be connected thereto, so as to close the front of the box or case; but such construction does not constitute my invention.

A paper-file has also been constructed of a box or case having a cover hinged to swing back on the top of the box or case, and the edges of such covers have been arranged to overlap and bear against the edges of the end .walls of the box; but a cover arranged in this manneris not my invention, and is not claimed by me.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The box or case A, having an open top and front side, and provided with the flexible cover A attached to the front edge of the bottom wall flush with the lower surface of the same, and constructed to fold over the open front and top and overlap and bear against the edges of the end walls of the box or case, and to open and spread out on a plane flush or coincident with the lower surface of said bottom wall and rest throughout its extent on the same support as the box or case.

2. In combination with the box or case A, constructed with the open top and front side, as described, the cover A connected flush or coincident with the lower surface of the bottom wall of the box or case, and arranged to fold upward over the open top and front, and overlap and bear against the edges of the end walls of the box or case, and to be opened and spread upon a plane coincident or flush with the lower surface of the bottom wall, and to rest throughout its extent on the same sup port as the box or case, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a box or case and a number of indexed sheets, of flap-springs extending inward from the sides of the box or case, and toggle-levers connected thereto and to each other and preferably to a presser impinging on the sheets, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

FREDERICK S. HASBROUOK.

Witnesses:

T. J. KEANE, FREDK. HAYNES. 

